Mary McDonough

By the Midland Daily News

Published 3:00 am, Saturday, July 9, 2011

Mary McDonough, 87, passed away on Thursday, July 7, 2011, at her home in Midland.

She was born to the late John and Mary (Riley) Fleminger on Feb. 10, 1924, in Indian Town. She graduated from St. Mary's High School and went to work at Michigan Bell Telephone as an operator. In 1947, she married Vincent McDonough, son of the late Robert and Anna (Killderry) McDonough. In 1950, Vincent died and Mary supported herself and her newborn son with work at an independent insurance company and later as a secretary at Steering Gear. In 1962, Mary started at The Dow Chemical Co., where she worked for 27 years as an executive secretary in the legal and accounting departments. Mary retired from Dow Chemical in 1989. Shortly after, she went to work for the Rollin F. Gerstacker Foundation as an administrative assistant. She continued with the foundation for 20 years, retiring in 2009 at the age of 85. Mary was also a volunteer at the Chippewa Nature Center, the Herbert D. Doan Midland County Historical Center, and the Midland Center for the Arts.

Mary is survived by her son, Tim McDonough, and his daughters, Caitlin and Devin; her brother, Donald Fleminger and his daughters, Michelle, Mary Beth, and Kay; her nephew, Greg Heyn, son of her late sister, Kay, and his children, Megan, Devin, and Morgan; her niece, Jan, the daughter of her late brother, James Fleminger; and her great friends, Kirt and Laurie Moody and their children Megan, Tony, and Nikolas.

Respecting Mary's wishes, no funeral or memorial service is planned. For those wishing to honor Mary, visiting hours are 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, July 11, 2011, at the Wilson MILLER Funeral Home. A private burial will take place at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Saginaw. Memorial tributes may be made in her name to the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland or the Toni & Trish House in Auburn. Personal messages of support may be left for the family at www.wilson-miller.com